Of Dreams and Miracles
By Misha

Disclaimer and Rating in Prologue.

A.N- Yet another new chapter. I decided that I should have written Liz's birthday in, so here goes. Besides, it gives me a chance to write some family-time in for her, plus I get to have another scene with her grandmother in it. It's mostly fluff, but I like it. That's all, enjoy!

Part Ten: Happy Birthday, Elizabeth

Late September 1979

"Happy birthday!" Elizabeth opened her eyes as her younger and brother sister climbed on top of her.

"Hey you guys." She said sleepily.

"It's your birthday!" Danny told her.

"Yeah." Elizabeth agreed, sitting up. It was, she was 21 now.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart." Patti said from the doorway. "I hope you don't mind, they wanted to be the first to wish you a happy birthday."

"No, that's fine." Elizabeth said, leaning over to give both Kelly and Danny a hug. She looked over at the clock. "Wow, it's late."

It wasn't actually, but she had become accustomed to early mornings.

"Your father told us to let you sleep in." Patti explained. "He also said to tell you that he's giving you the day off."

"A day off, really?" Elizabeth asked in awe. "So I'll actually get to know what one of those feels like."

"Well, not exactly." Patti told her. "We have a full day planned for you."

Elizabeth grinned. "Sounds good to me."

"We're going shopping and out to lunch." Kelly told her, climbing down off the bed.

"And then to a movie!" Danny said excitedly, doing the same.

"Sounds great." Elizabeth told them.

"But first you three have to get dressed." Patti told them all.

Kelly and Danny scampered out of the room, leaving Patti and Elizabeth alone.

Patti crossed the room. "Happy birthday, sweetheart." She leaned in and gave Elizabeth a hug. "I can't believe you're 21. The years go by too fast."

"Not too fast." Elizabeth said with a smile, climbing out of bed.

"From a mother's perspective they do." Patti told her.

Elizabeth smiled. "I guess that's true." She reached over and gave her mother another hug. She had a feeling this was going to be a pretty good birthday.
---

"Happy birthday, Elizabeth."

"Thanks, Nana." Elizabeth said into the phone.

Her grandmother had called promptly at six to wish Elizabeth happy birthday. She called at the same time every year, right before the family settled down for Elizabeth's birthday dinner.

"Did you get the presents I sent?" Gloria inquired.

She had mailed a box, containing two wrapped packages that had arrived earlier in the week.

"Yes, I did." Elizabeth told her. "I haven't opened either of them yet, I was waiting for you to call."

"Go ahead and open them." Gloria instructed.

Patti handed Elizabeth the first package and she carefully ripped it open. Inside was a book that she had wanted.

"Thanks, Nana." Elizabeth told her. "I can't wait to read this."

"You're welcome, darling, now open the other one." Gloria instructed her.

Elizabeth did as she told, reaching for the second package and tearing the paper off it. Inside was a flat, velvet box. Elizabeth opened it to reveal a strand of pearls and a pair of matching earrings.

"Oh, Nana." She exclaimed. "They're beautiful."

"I gave those to your mother on her 21st birthday, right before you were born." Gloria told her. "I know she'd want you to have them now."

Elizabeth touched them gently, thinking of the mother she had never known. It was strange having something that belonged to her when she was Elizabeth's age and knowing that her mother had died only a few years after that. After all, Laura Brooks had been only 23 when she was killed.

"Thank you, Nana, I'll treasure them." Elizabeth said, her voice heavy with emotion.

"I know you will." Gloria told her. "Now, I'll let you go. Have a wonderful birthday and come visit soon."

"I will." Elizabeth promised. "Bye Nana."

She hung up the phone and then looked down at the pearls again.

"Those are lovely." Patti told her.

Herb looked at the pearls, but didn't say anything. Elizabeth wondered if he was thinking about her biological mother. Laura wasn't a subject they talked about often. Elizabeth thought it was because they were both more comfortable thinking of Patti as her mother.

"Yeah, they are." Elizabeth agreed, before closing the case. She smiled at Patti. "So when do we get to eat? I'm starving!"
---

After dinner and presents, Elizabeth went out with the boys to their favourite bar. The team had insisted on celebrating her birthday with her. They had even sent Buzz to pick her up so that she wouldn't have to drive home that night.

"Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday dear Liz, Happy birthday to you." They all sang out.

She smiled. "Thanks you guys."

"Do you think I could dance with the birthday girl?" Mark Johnson asked before anyone else could.

"Of course." Elizabeth agreed and let Mark lead her onto the dance floor.

She loved to dance, she always had. There was something about music that just made her want to move. After the song was done, Dave Christian was there to claim her and it just went on from there.

As the night went on, Elizabeth danced with almost all the boys. There were two notable exceptions, Jack and Robbie.

Jack didn't even ask her dance, obviously he wasn't going to press the point in public, and the few times she had seen Robbie about to ask her, she had headed towards the bathroom and then managed to grab one of the other guys for a dance as soon as she came back.

Elizabeth knew it was kind of cowardly, but she couldn't help it. It was her birthday, she wanted to have fun, not deal with her romantic issues. Jack seemed to respect that, but she wasn't sure about Robbie.

She was never sure about Robbie.
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